PS-51
The World
The town, known as ‘Newtopia’, is sandwiched between Nevada desert mountains. But it’s also under a large bubble that, when working, makes it invisible to outside viewers, satellites, etc. This is lucky because Burning Man takes place yearly on the other side of the hill. The town is actually quite idyllic, with green lawns and perfect weather (thanks to the bubble). Unfortunately, the cloaking bubble technology was provided by an alien life that has since left, and no one is quite sure how the power source works for it. So it short circuits occasionally, leaving the secret of the town exposed so the kids have to work fast to fix before the adults find out.
Tone
Think Men in Black for children, a very humor-forward show. The kids - of both alien and human variety - are always getting into wacky situations and with even wackier responses. Often it’s a misunderstanding because of language barriers, customs, or even physics, and almost nothing goes as it should. Seriously… this is a show that is not serious. Well, a smidge.
There is also a subtle but ever present push for universal acceptance. Certainly, at PS-51, and in the entire hidden desert bubble community of Newtopia, no one is ever judged by the color of their skin, or their ancestry. Or how many ears they have. There are other lessons appropriate for youngsters, such as fairness, the golden rule, etc. but the big one is that it’s great to be you.
Format
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11 min x 26 episodes, HD.
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Created with motion capture and programatic animation in real-time UNREAL game engine.
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Simultaneous production of digital game & app, using TV show assets.